Chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the attack saw knifeman chased by employees from nearby bar.

French police outside the Gare du Nord in Paris, close to where an off-duty English policeman was stabbedGetty

An off-duty English policeman has been seriously injured after being stabbed outside a bar in Paris. The 25-year-old, who was on holiday with his partner, was reportedly watching the Euro 2016 quarter final between France and Iceland on Sunday (3 July) when he became involved in a dispute.

Witnesses say they then heard his partner scream as he was stabbed in the abdomen by another man. His attacker then walked away "as if nothing happened", according to witnesses.

The attack occurred around 11.30pm outside a brasserie on Boulevard de Magenta, in the 10th arrondissement of the city near the Gare du Nord rail station, according to Le Parisien.

Chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the attack saw the knifeman then chased by employees from a nearby bar, before he was subdued and arrested by a passing French off-duty policeman, who heard bystanders yell "he killed someone".

Two blood-covered knives were later discovered in a nearby bin after witnesses reported seeing them being thrown away by the attacker.

The victim, who has not yet been identified, was taken to a hospital in central Paris where he underwent an emergency operation. Police say his condition is serious but not life-threatening.

A friend of the victim said a "verbal dispute" was behind the attack. It was suggested by officers the suspect, who has been taken to a psychiatric unit, may have suffered mental health problems. One officer said: "It's obviously not someone who is all there."